THE RULE OF LAW ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Ghislaine Boulanger
Psychologist; Co-founder of Psychologists for an Ethical APA

An interview with Ghislaine Boulanger conducted October 16, 2012 by Mary Marshall Clark for the Columbia Center for Oral History, Rule of Law Oral History Project

Dr. Ghislaine Boulanger's research into the psychological effects of warfare began with her work in the first epidemiological study of the social readjustment of Vietnam veterans in 1976. The study’s findings contributed greatly to the identification and understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder. While writing Wounded by Reality (2007), a study of the treatment of adult onset trauma, Boulanger became aware of—and, subsequently, a leading voice against—the collaboration of American Psychological Association [APA]-appointed psychologists in interrogations at Guantánamo Bay and other U.S. government black sites. Highlights of this discussion include Boulanger’s co-founding of the groups Withhold APA Dues and Psychologists for an Ethical APA, the APA’s changing ethics code after 9/11 and its relationship with the Department of Defense, the organization of demonstrations and conferences protesting psychologists at Guantánamo Bay, and her resignation from the APA.

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